Materials and Programs for Literacy Instruction

1. Materials and Programs for Literacy Instruction Chapter 6

2. Changes in Approaches • UP until mid-1980s, most children were taught through basal readers • Holistic movement through the use of children’s literature • Currently use a balanced approach with skills instruction and reading with literature are integrated

3. Basal Approach • Series of readers, or anthologies, and supplementary materials that gradually increase in difficulty. Begins with emergent literacy and extends through sixth-grade reading. • Today’s basals have specific provision for below-average, average, and above-average achievers. • Are more language based, offer teaching suggestions, big books, supplementary libraries, read-aloud books, wide array of games and manipulative, audiotapes, computer software, videodiscs, inservice programs, posters, charts, supplementary spelling and language books, end-of-the-unit tests, placement tests, observation guides, portfolio systems, Web sites, and more

4. Basal Teacher’s Edition • Scope and sequence chart • Reduced version of the student’s text • Lesson plans

5. Student’s Basal Text • Anthology of original contemporary and classic stories, poems, news clips, and expository text selections • Comprehension questions • Glossary of words

6. Anatomy of a Basal Reading Lesson • Activating prior knowledge • Skill lessons • Previewing and predicting • Setting the purpose for reading • Guiding the reading of the selection • Confirm predictions • Comprehension discussion questions • Skill instruction and practice • Theme projects

7. Advantages to Basals • Convenient package of materials, techniques, and assessment devices. • Offer varied reading selections, an abundance of practice material, carefully planned units and lessons, and a wealth of follow-up and enrichment activities. • Sequenced from grade to grade, providing continuous reading instruction

8. Disadvantage to Basals • Core of the program is the anthology, workbook, and manual to provide a base of materials for all students to move through. • Question of pacing and time spent with a selection. • Basal selections are presented to the whole class. Selections may lack sufficient challenge for high achievers and will be too hard for those reading below grade level.

9. Phonic-Linguistic Basals • Emphasis to reinforce phonic elements or linguistic patterns. • Tightly controlled vocabulary and are used primarily for struggling readers. • Selections are contrived so it is difficult to use context clues. • Examples: Reading Mastery and Merrill Linguistic Readers

10. Literature-Based Approach • Teaching reading in which literary selections are the major instructional materials. • Reading materials can be tailored to student’s interests and needs. • Models: core literature, text sets, and thematic units.

11. Models • Core Literature: selected literature to be read as a whole class (e.g., Shiloh or Number the Stars). • Text Sets: a series of related books to foster making connections • Thematic Units: series of books organized around a central idea, topic, or focus.

12. Individualized Reading Workshop • Preparation: state-of-the-art class conference and a minilesson to present a skill/strategy lesson on predicting, inferences, context clues, etc. • Self-Selected Reading and Responding: approx. 30 min. silent reading and meet in literature discussion group, write in journal, work on an extension activity • Conferences: meet with teacher to discuss the book through questioning (see pg. 464)

13. Language-Experience Approach • Students dictate a story based on an experience they have had. • The teacher writes the dictated story. • Through discussion, the teacher can help students organize and reflect on their experiences.

14. Language-Experience for ELL • Accept the child’s language and show that it is valued. • If the teacher edits it, it becomes the teacher’s language, not the child’s. • However, if mispronounced, the teacher should spell correctly. • As children grow in language, they will have opportunities to develop fuller knowledge of verbs, contractions, and pronunciation.

15. Reading Recovery • Designed to reduce reading failure in the 1st grade for the lowest performing 20% of students • 1:1 intensive reading instruction for 30 min. per day • Engage in 5 activities

16. Reading Recovery Activities • Reread 2 familiar books • Teacher takes a daily running record of oral reading • Work with letters and words (magnetic letters on a cookie sheet) • Child dictates a sentence or two and teacher helps to write a story • Introduce new story – discuss new vocabulary and sounding out words

17. Success for All • Total school reform grades K-3 • Goal is to get all students reading at the 3rd grade • Provides individual tutoring sessions • Homogeneous groups for reading • 90 min. reading block

18. Four Blocks • 30 min. reading blocks • Basal block • Writing block • Working with words block • Self-selected reading block

19. Early Steps • Early intervention program • 1:1 intensive daily reading instruction • 30 min. per day • Reread familiar books • Word sort activities (word families or rimes) • Child writes a sentence • Introduction of a new book